Objective: Gynecological cancers (GC) are among the most common cancers in women. In this study; it was aimed to examine the knowledge levels of women for protection from GC and the affecting factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 611 women who applied to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital between December 2021 and September 2022 and met the inclusion criteria. The patient information form and Gynecological Cancer Prevention Information Scale (GCPIS) were used to obtain data. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean age of the 611 women included in the study was 33.92±11.12 years [minimum (min): 18- maximum (max): 65], and the mean total score of GCPIS was 15.17±7.08 (min: 0-max: 35). The total GCPIS score of the participants in the 36-65 age group were significantly higher than those in the 18-35 age group (p=0.048). A statistically significant difference was found between education and income levels in terms of total scores of GCPIS (p=0.002; p=0.004; respectively). Those who did not menstruate, had a history of a gynecological disease, had regular gynecological examinations, had knowledge of GC and screening tests, and had Pap-smear tests had significantly higher GCPIS total scores. (p=0.033; p=0.026; p=0.031; p=0.001; p=0.018, respectively).
Conclusion: According to this study, women’s knowledge of GC prevention was moderate. High education and income level, amenorrhea, gynecological disease history, obtaining information about GC and screening tests, and having regular gynecological examinations and Pap smear tests were the factors positively affecting the level of knowledge about the prevention of GC.